President Joe Biden is following the path of former President Jimmy Carter by pausing liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, according to an energy expert.
Oliver McPherson-Smith, an energy-focused research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution think tank in California, on Wednesday published an op-ed titled "Biden's misguided LNG pause follows Carter's path to a one-term presidency," in which he criticizes the recent decision by the Biden administration to temporarily halt LNG exports.
"President Biden's recent pause on new permits for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports is foolish policy. Unfortunately, these types of misguided export restrictions are not unprecedented. At this exact point in his presidency, Jimmy Carter similarly implemented a half-measure ban on grain exports to the Soviet Union," the op-ed said. "Carter's grain embargo should be an ominous warning for President Biden."
Last month, the White House announced a pause on LNG exports to non-FTA (free trade agreement) countries, citing concerns for the environment and climate change.
"President Biden has been clear that climate change is the existential threat of our time—and we must act with the urgency it demands to protect the future for generations to come," the White House said in a statement last month. "The U.S. is already the number one exporter of LNG worldwide—with U.S. LNG exports expected to double by the end of this decade. At the same time, the U.S. remains unwavering in our commitment to supporting our allies around the world. Today's announcement will not impact our ability to continue supplying LNG to our allies in the near-term."
In his op-ed, McPherson-Smith said that Carter's decision to ban grain exports to the Soviet Union "looked convincing," but turned out to be a "disaster," adding that "the embargo was also poorly received on the international stage."
"Fast forward 44 years, President Biden's pause on LNG export permits is set to replicate Carter's folly," McPherson-Smith wrote. "According to the Biden administration, the pause on approving additional LNG permits is driven by the risks of exacerbating climate change. Like Carter's embargo, this permit pause will not achieve its objective."
"Due to crushing inflation, foreign policy bungles and a tragic hostage situation, President Biden's tenure has been marred by comparisons with one-term President Jimmy Carter. History may repeat itself if this misguided LNG policy remains in place," the op-ed added.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment on Wednesday.
In addition to the comparisons to Carter made by McPherson-Smith, a recent report from Gallup found that Biden's average approval rating in the third year of his presidency is the second-worst among post-World War II presidents. Only Carter, who had an average third-year approval rating of 37.4 percent, had a worse number than Biden, who received an average of 39.8 percent.
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